If we go back in the history of Zamorano D.O. cheese, we discover that Zamorano documentation from the time of its repopulation, in the mid-11th century, offers various references to cheese production at that time. At the end of the 19th century, the small family and artisan industries began, from which the industries that exist today in this province have arisen, producing Zamorano cheese as we know it today.
Zamorano cheese has been protected by the Protected Designation of Origin since May 1993, and is the only cheese from Castilla y León to have this quality distinction recognized by the European Union. The Zamorano Cheese is the result of the combination of two of the most specialized native sheep breeds in milk production, the Churra and the CastellanaThe cheese is a cheese with deep Hispanic roots, which in a generally hostile environment, both for its extreme climate and for the lack of abundance of grazing resources, is capable of extracting the quintessence and transmitting it to the milk that will later give rise to a cheese with deep Hispanic roots.
The elements that prove that Zamorano Cheese originates from the area are:
The milk will come exclusively from the registered cattle ranches located in the production zone.
The milking, cooling, conservation, collection and transport of milk will be controlled in order to verify compliance with current legislation.
The cheese will be produced in registered cheese dairies, within the production area, subject to control.
The cheese will be identified by means of casein plates, identifying the denomination and subject to control.
5.- The maturation and conservation is also carried out in registered premises and subject to control.
The final product is subjected to the corresponding physical-chemical and organoleptic analyses to guarantee its quality.
Once all the above controls have been completed, the product is placed on the market with the guarantee of its origin, materialized in the numbered back label identifying the denomination.
But what truly identifies Zamorano Cheese are its characteristics:
- Processing and production area in the province of Zamora, of milk from the Churra and Castellana breeds.
- Cylindrical shape.
- Weighing from 1 kilo to 4kg.
- Its bark is hard.
- Its paste is pressed, firm, compact, with good density and ivory color.
- Few and unevenly distributed eyes.
- Developed flavor, persistent, intense, with perception of acid and salty among the elemental flavors, with aromas of sheep’s milk.
It should also be noted that the Authentic
Zamorano Cheese
is labeled with a casein plate and back label of the Regulatory Council, which represents a Romanesque Rosette.
What are you waiting for to enjoy it? 😉
Source: Origin Spain
